How Mobility Management is the Route to Success in Fleet Management

Effective fleet management co-opts several variables related to managing the life cycle of the transportation-related assets of an enterprise, optimizing the use of equipment, and coordinating the mobility of the workforce.

Until not too long ago, fleet management was executed through manual charts, with the scope more-or-less confined to managing the life cycle of the vehicle and fixing a duty roaster for the staff. However, the recent digitization of fleet management activities has spawned “Big Data” which throws up fresh insights and increases the scope and depth of fleet management considerably.

Shift in Approach

The overriding focus in today’s highly competitive environment is to optimize the movement of the fleet from one point to the next. The routes a vehicle can take and the mileage of a vehicle are static beyond a point. The most flexible variable, and hence the variable which offers scope for maximum productivity gains is mobility management or the mobility of team members within the enterprise.

Mobility Management is the science of influencing the trip mode choice of people. The best mobility management approach allows the individual or enterprise to make the most optimal choice before the trip originates. However, decision-makers and managers may also use the insights reactively to draw out sound policies which serve as default guidelines for future travel, or for situations where real-time analysis is not possible.

The overriding importance to mobility management heralds a shift in approach, away from the traditional focus of variables related to vehicle ownership. Effective mobility management allows the business to make intelligent transportation choices, factoring in business needs, preference of the people, and best practices.

Improve Overall Efficiency of Fleet Management

Integrating employee-related ‘big data’ such as time, location and work behaviors into data pertaining to daily operations give a fillip to fleet management. A historical analysis of Big Data, coupled with Artificial Intelligence, data from Google Maps, and predictive analysis enable plotting transportation options in a highly streamlined and economic way. Insights to such critical data shed light on efficiency or the lack of it, throwing up possibilities to do more with the limited time and resources available, and creating opportunities to reduce operational expenses. An added benefit is reducing the organization’s carbon footprint emissions. The all-around efficiency improvements also increase employee and customer satisfaction, leading to further efficiency and revenue improvements.

Zero in on the Most Cost-Effective Option

Enterprises operating in today’s highly competitive environment, where margins are wafer-thin, strive to save every possible penny in operational costs.

It is a no-brainer investing in a bus pass would cost much less than the company managing a fleet of vehicles. However, mobility management is not getting rid of all company vehicles and making everyone ride the bus. Rather mobility management analyzes each trip. The system considers how the trip is planned, as in car, public transport, Uber, car-pooling or any other mode, the purpose for the trip, the time limits under which the trip has to be made, the direct and indirect costs of taking a long time for the trip, and all other relevant considerations. The system next identifies any alternative mode of transportation which is viable and more cost-effective. For instance, taking the company vehicle when the metro offers door-to-door connectivity between the office and the point where the employee has to travel enables completing the trip much faster, with the flexibility and productivity, and at a lower cost. An efficient mobility management scheme allows the enterprise to make such comparisons in real time, improving efficiency manifold and saving costs.

The best mobility management approach does not look at the productivity of the fleet or the transportation mode alone. It rather considers all angles, including human mobility behavior, available information, communication, and more.

Sound fleet management applies the total cost of mobility (TCM) when calculating the total cost of ownership (TCO), to shed light on the actual cost of employee travel, and identify the most cost-effective mode of transport. The system pegs accurate transport budgets, and provide spending controls with a high degree of accuracy, leading to better bottom line performance.

Better Control and Insights

A fleet management system, powered by an intuitive software makes it possible for the enterprise to effectively manage all forms of travel, including company issued vehicles, pool vehicles, personal cars, rentals and a range of public transportation options. It improves insights and allows the business to remain in control. Mobility management is integral to such fleet management suite. The best suite:

Tracks and manage accounts with external transportation providers

Improve visibility into the driver information to ensure compliance with regulations and corporate rules

Keep driver records organized and up-to-date and makes it available at the fingertips of managers and decision making through highly intuitive mobile apps

These insights allow the enterprise to remain in control of the finer aspects of its operations. Managers and decision makers may monitor such variables on a real-time basis, to take timely actions as required, and also draw out practical and sustainable policies.

Often, the hard work of marketing and selling a successful product are frittered away by waste on the operational side. The enterprise fleet and cost to move the workforce constitute a big chunk of the non-core operational expense, and hence critical to keep costs in check. Effective mobility management, powered by a well-developed software solution, not only paves the way to efficient fleet management but also ensures the enterprise remains in sound health.

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